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'Arrow' Season 2: 'Spartacus' Star Cast as Amanda Waller

The epic small-screen saga of The CW's Arrowhas become the network's ratings champion, having secured a second season and proved that a gritty, live-action TV series based on a comic book character can be a resounding success.

TV Guide reports that Spartacus: War of the Damnedactress Cynthia Addai-Robinson will be portraying Waller, an agent of the evil organization A.R.G.U.S. Her first task as a member of the ever-growing universe will be to kidnap Oliver Queen's friend and bodyguard John Diggle in the sixth episode of season 2.

The choice of Addai-Robinson confirms that the producers are more or less going with the New 52 version of the character, who is, shall we say, a bit slimmer and arguably sexier than the character from the previous continuity. This was a bit of controversy on the Internet when it happened back in 2012, but it looks like said controversy hasn't affected the casting decision.

Addai-Robinson has had a steady career of small roles on television (FlashForward, Entourage), but her portrayal of slave-turned-rebel Naevia was to date her most substantial. She is the latest actress to play Amanda Waller, who is a recurring character in the DC comic book universe. Angela Bassett took the role in Green Lantern, Pam Grier played Waller during the ninth season of Smallville, and CCH Pounder voiced her in the Justice League animated series.

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In the comic books, Waller exists as one of the most powerful villains of the DC Universe and runs the Suicide Squad, a team of former supervillains who work for the government in exchange for amnesty. Comments by executive producer Andrew Kreisberg in April hinted at the character joining the show, even if Kreisberg did not confirm that the Suicide Squad would eventually appear.

The aforementioned casting of Michael Jai White as the Bronze Tiger is further evidence that the Squad might come together onscreen at some point, since Tiger and Waller work together in the comics. Is it possible that the steady introduction of supervillains in season 2 could culminate in the creation of the Squad as a means to capture the Hood? Time will tell.

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What do you think, Screen Rant readers? Do you think Cynthia Addai-Robinson is a good choice for playing Amanda Waller? Do you want to see the Suicide Squad show up at some point on Arrow? Let us know in the comments.